Clarke feels time is right for Open shot

Darren Clarke is desperate to find out in two weeks’ time whether he has finished serving his golfing apprenticeship.

After taking a share of the halfway lead with Phillip Price in the Smurfit European Open, an event he would love to win again, the Ulsterman was asked about a championship he craves even more. The Open, of course.

The next chance comes at Royal St George’s in Kent and Clarke is hoping the experiences of Troon in 1997 and Lytham two years ago help him to come through.

In the former the big Dungannon golfer finished second after leading by four at one stage and in the latter he was one behind with a round to play and ended up joint third four strokes adrift of David Duval.

“If you look at the majority of people who have won majors they have tended to serve their apprenticeship,” he said. “There’s been a few who have won first time, but not many.

“Troon probably came too soon for me, while at Lytham I felt I played well enough to win tee to green – it’s the best I’ve struck the ball in a major – but on the greens I didn’t.

“Even though I’m 34 and have been out here for 12 years there is still a lot of room for improvement and I’m trying to work in the right direction to get back up there and give myself opportunities.”

To that end Clarke rang coach Butch Harmon after his opening 67 at the K Club near Dublin, the course where he triumphed two years ago and where in 1999 he had the round of his life – a 12 under par 60.

Off all things to be doing, Harmon was preparing to go into a four-man bobsleigh in Utah, but from what Clarke described he made some pointers and off the Ryder Cup star went to the range.

Allied to a change in his putting stance and grip suggested by Southport-based Harold Swash he set off again and grabbed five birdies to move alongside Belfry team-mate Price.

The Welshman has been adapting to life as a star following his dramatic win last September over then world number two Phil Mickelson.

Having been Pontypridd’s man of the year in 1994 – that was to mark his first tour win – he has been awarded the same title in Newport the last two seasons. First for making the Ryder Cup, then for helping Europe to win it.

“At the Wales Open (six weeks ago) it was ridiculous,” he said. “I like to be pleasant and not rude, but it was getting to the stage where I didn’t have a choice. It’s wearing and you can’t get on with your job.

“I really don’t know how someone like Beckham handles it. I’ve always tried to be polite and I’ve watched guys and thought they were rude and aloof, but now I almost see why they tend to do that.

“If they didn’t they be stopping and talking all day. There’s a very fine line.”

Without a top five finish all year and down in the dumps because of it, Price has had only one bogey in his first 36 holes and this morning he stayed out in front by adding a 69 to his 66.

Joint first round leader Alastair Forsyth would have been nine under as well but for a closing bogey – he drove behind a tree on the 461-yard ninth – and 49-year-old Zimbabwean Mark McNulty got to the same mark before bogeying two of his last four holes.

No such late slips from 18-year-old South African Charl Schwartzel, who set a new record for the lengthened course with his 64 and joined Forsyth in third place.

Pre-tournament favourite Padraig Harrington had to hole a 20-foot birdie putt from just off the green at the last to survive the halfway cut on two over. He managed only a 73.

Colin Montgomerie, handily placed at four under overnight, had a bizarre first seven holes of four birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey. But then came 10 pars and a closing birdie for a 71 that means he is only four behind.

New French Open champion Philip Golding, suffering from tennis elbow, crashed out with rounds of 78 and 80 and among the others to depart were Justin Rose and Philip Walton, who had former Republic of Ireland striker Niall Quinn as his caddie.

Tall though he is, Quinn could not help at the ninth when Walton’s ball stuck up a tree. He had to go back to the tee and double-bogeyed.